For the Grandmas. . .Happy Halloween

Mothers in the Making

While I was trying to finish feeding Caleb this morning, I told Annie and Katie that we were going to go on a walk when he was done so they should go get the stroller ready. What I found in the garage was Katie with her pink purse slung over her shoulder carefully strapping her pink baby into its stroller. Annie had pulled out my stroller and had the door open for me. Then just before the door shut she dashed back in the house and stuffed a chewing ring into her pocket-- "just in case Caleb needs it", she told my questioning look. While we were walking, Katie stopped pushing her stroller multiple times to readjust the sun shade because "the sun is getting in my baby's eyes." What a fun glimpse of mothers in the making.

Tira mi su

An High Priest of Good Things to Come
My sister Beth reminded me of this talk by Elder Holland a couple of Sundays ago while we were comparing notes on handling our differing challenges. Many things I love about this three-small-children stage of life. . .but there are some things I won't miss. After a week of no husband, then a couple of weeks of sleepless or kids sleeping in my bed nights, grumpy sick or teething babies, very limited social interaction, I was ready to be reminded that things will get better. Anyway, thinking of all of you in your keep on keeping on.

All about Brad

For those of you who know and love Brad, here's a little update on his life . . . from my perspective.

Brad had a great birthday yesterday. He just loved, loved, loved it. Mostly, because he has such a wonderful wife. The girls and I had fun making him a cake and decorating the house with streamers and a sign. Mom and Dad are Super Grandparents (they come to soccer games, Primary Programs, babysit) and came over to our house to play with the kids and put them to bed while Brad and I went to the temple.

When we got home, Brad got a little birthday surprise when a bird flew in our house as we were saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. Wait, I was the one that always wanted a bird. Well, happy birthday Brad, we got to spend the rest of the night until midnight cleaning up blood and feathers from the ceiling, couches, walls, mirrors, windows, floor. What a mess. That crazy bird kept bopping its head on the ceiling until it was wounded and bleeding as it frantically flew around but never could find its way out through all the doors we opened up. Brad, in his suit, finally caught the bird in a big plastic sack and took him outside. I wasn't much help running around the house screaming as the bird flew near me so I had gone downstairs to get someone more mature--Jon-- when Brad finally caught the crazy thing.

Brad leaves for a conference in Georgia next week and will be gone Mon- Fri. I think we'll be fine. At least I'm to the point where I don't start panicking that I'm going to be alone with three babies every time Brad walks out the door to work or YMs these days.

Brad's recently acquired company (Dynamic City now Packet Front) went through some "restructuring" last week so it's been kind of a serious, sad time too as one of Brad's favorite mentors and one of his good friends were let go. Also, a lot of change for Brad as he now works in a different department and reports to different managers etc. Crazy stuff. Brad's optimistic and working even harder to make the company and the Utopia project they're working on here in Utah a success, so, he seems to be doing okay with it all.

Grandma Day

The girls are at Grandma Cindy's today. This is the day I get to do some of my "nice to do"s. Wahoooo! Three cheers for Grandma Cindy! Thank you, thank you. The floor is mopped, my book is finished, and my second try at metering and Manual exposure succeeded! I figured my camera out!!! It feels very empowering. I went through a phase were I felt like I just messed things up when I tried to get too involved in my camera's settings. Now, I love that I have total control, that I know enough to decide. Many things in my life I cannot control. But my camera, oh yeah baby. Under my control.

Must do?

Almost every day I think about something I read in the back of the May conference Ensign introducing the new RS presidency. In the article on Julie Beck they said she prioritize her time into "must do" "should do" and "nice to do." In the immediacy of caring for three young children, I have to really plan for the "must dos" of scripture study, temple attendance, husband time, etc. Doing these things then helps me in the many real-time decisions of the day, when I am interrupted in my "nice to do" reading, or when I feel like I have way to much I need to get done, I try to stop and put myself in this perspective. Is this a must do, a should do, or just a nice to do?

I have to let go of a lot of things I want to do that very much feel like must dos in my mind. The unmopped floor has to be patient because my baby needs to be loved. My new book will have to stay closed because my four-year-old wants to play a game. My camera will have to stay on the shelf because my two-year-old needs to be held. My long and beautiful blog entry will have to wait because my husband needs some time too.